Some stories are very familiar to us, but our understanding of them is only the tip of the iceberg. Even one of folklore’s most legendary creatures has roots that are almost forgotten today—roots that are both ancient and terrifying.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Allie Steed, and music by Chad Lawson.
Everywhere you go these days, there are superstitions. Many are modern, and not much more than clever word games or rhymes designed to help us remember things. But a few are older, with roots in a past that’s a bit darker than we’d like to admit.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Meaghan Des Roches, and music by Chad Lawson.
Sometimes the past sticks around because we work hard to make sure it’s never forgotten. Other times, it stays with us because we refused to let it go. But in one American city, the past seems to have stuck around for darker reasons.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Michelle Muto, and music by Chad Lawson.
Folklore is filled with stories that evolve over time, and while the originals are full of drama and fright, it’s in the evolution that they truly come to life.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Allie Steed, and music by Chad Lawson.
For a very long time, people have believed that our world is filled with magic. Secret knowledge and hidden truths that we can use to unlock power and privilege. It’s a belief that’s taken all shapes and forms, but there’s one common thread tying it all together: books.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Sam Alberty, and music by Chad Lawson.
History can be easy to brush aside or paint over, giving us the illusion of control. But just because we can’t see the past doesn’t mean it’s not there, active and powerful, working behind the scenes to remind us of our tragedy and pain.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Taylor Hagerdorn, and music by Chad Lawson.
History has proven just how good humans are at improving things, from weapons and tools to medicine and education. But some advancements come at a price, while creating some horrifying folklore in the process.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Taylor Hagerdorn, and music by Chad Lawson.
If history has shown us anything, it’s that humans are easily motivated by fear. Just what some of those fears have been, though, is more than a little frightening.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Michelle Muto, and music by Chad Lawson.
Humans have long practiced the art of building walls and fortresses in an effort to gain control or find safety. But no place is safe from the danger we bring upon ourselves, and sometimes those tragedies stay right where they started.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Robin Miniter and Carl Nellis, and music by Chad Lawson.
Humans have spent thousands of years building systems to keep us as safe as possible. But eventually, each of us will have to stop and rest, letting down our guard and opening ourselves up to perhaps our darkest and oldest of enemies.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Carl Nellis, and music by Chad Lawson.
Human ingenuity knows no bounds. Along with creating all manner of new technology, and ever more complex levels of knowledge, another thing we are good at inventing is ourselves. And sometimes that alteration can become the stuff of legend.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Marcet Crockett, and music by Chad Lawson.
Folklore is often about danger and how we, as a community, might avoid it. But real life sometimes becomes a mirror of those fears, and leaves us wondering why no one saw it coming.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Marcet Crockett, and music by Chad Lawson.
Some of the oldest and most popular parts of folklore are the ghost stories. Whether told around a campfire, or red about in the safety a well-lit room, they are always fun, and often chilling. But there’s so much more to ghosts than wispy visions and rattling chains.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Allie Steed, and music by Chad Lawson.
There’s a lot that science has explained away. Mysteries that left us cowering in fear. Events that challenged our feelings of security and control. But even after all that progress, there are still some unexplained stories that left to haunt us.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Michelle Muto, and music by Chad Lawson.
Humanity has always been very good at making the best of a bad situation. Either by burying the past, or at least by building distractions that take the focus off of it. But no matter how beautiful those distractions are, our past always leaves a mark.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Marcet Crockett, and music by Chad Lawson.
We often speak in lofty terms about all that humans are capable of achieving, and much of that is true. But looking backward in time, we can also see moments when that potential has led to horrible tragedy. And we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Allie Steed, and music by Chad Lawson.
The way we treat the past is a great lens into the character of humanity. Sometimes we elevate it, but all too often we work to bury it. And while the excuse might be to make room for the march of progress, it also allows us to hide our worst mistakes and most painful tragedies.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Marcet Crockett, and music by Chad Lawson.
Humanity has grown over the millennia by passing on knowledge through teachings and guides. Even today, how-to books are best-sellers, and people are more hungry than ever to learn and grow. But some lessons aren’t worth passing on, and in a few cases, they’ve even been incredibly destructive.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Allie Steed, and music by Chad Lawson.
Folklore is our legacy. We humans have carried it with us everywhere we’ve gone in the world, and it anchors us to our roots and our community. But it also does something else: it gives us a place to hide our fear, to put it on a leash and control it. And there’s one story in particular that does that better than most.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Michelle Muto and music by Chad Lawson.
Folklore is our legacy. We humans have carried it with us everywhere we’ve gone in the world, and it anchors us to our roots and our community. But it also does something else: it gives us a place to hide our fear, to put it on a leash and control it. And there’s one story in particular that does that better than most.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Carl Nellis and music by Chad Lawson.